Pokémon Pinball: Ruby
Pokémon Pinball: Ruby and Sapphire is a video game for the Game Boy Advance that is based on Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. It is similar to Pokémon Pinball on the Game Boy Color, though is more advanced, featuring tons of new Pokémon and more obstacles. In all, there are only two pinball boards that you can play on, one being a Ruby board and the other Sapphire. Each one has a different environment, with the sapphire board being water and the ruby one ground (based on Ruby and Sapphire's two legendary Pokémon types). As in almost all Pokémon games, you can catch Pokémon and evolve them (as well as breed them). Gameplay Pokémon Pinball: Ruby and Sapphire is similar to most pinball video games, though as its name suggests has a Pokémon twist to it. As aforementioned in the starting paragraph, you'll be able to catch Pokémon in this game. To do so you'll have to enable the catch 'em mode by either shooting the Poké Ball into Sharpedo (ruby board) or Wailmer (sapphire board). Once you do, a black picture of a Pokémon will appear. Now to make the dark picture go away, you'll have to hit the bumpers a certain amount of times. Once the full picture of the Pokémon is revealed, it will appear and you'll be able to capture it. At the bottom of the board are the flippers that will hit the ball, thus launching it up to the board. If you don't time it correctly the ball will go below the flippers, and you'll either loose a life or Latios (ruby board) or Latias (sapphire board) will come and save it. How to Evolve your Pokémon As in every Pokémon game, you are able to evolve your Pokémon into stronger Pokémon. The only purpose for this method in this game is to put the evolved form into the Pokédex. The first step in doing this is to make the Poké Ball touch the letters E V and O three times. Once the evolution mode's triangle is flashing, shoot the ball up to where the shop is. Now, you can chose the Pokémon you want to evolve, and you'll then have two minutes to evolve it. Once the timer starts, you'll see a picture of the Pokémon you want to evolve pop up, and you'll see certain spceial items appear that will evolve your Pokémon. Once you get three of the items, your Pokémon will evolve. The Boards Ruby Board The ruby board seems to be a ground type board, probably because the mascot Pokémon for Pokémon Ruby is a ground type Pokémon. The ball saver for this board is Latios. The three bumpers at the top resemble the Pokémon Chinchou. On this board, you'll also be able to find the Groudon and Kecleon bonus stage. If you press the A button when your ball is close to the Makuhita, then the large Pokémon will punch the ball, and give you the ball upgrade. To hatch the egg, you need to push the Cyndaquil into its cave. Sapphrie Board The sapphire board is a water type board, probably because the mascot of the Sapphire version was a water type. The bumpers for this stage resemble the Shroomish Pokémon species. Rather than a Latios being the ball saver, a Latias is. A Wailmer is the Catch 'em mode enabler. To get to the Pokémart, you'll have to press the buttons under Minun and Plusle. Bonus Boards There are a few small bonus boards in the game which will allow you to catch many rare Pokémon, including the three main legendary Pokémon from the Generation III Pokémon games. Notable Pokémon appearances Other than the catchable Pokémon, you'll encounter many others that you can see on the boards. Spoink will act as the plunger that will propel the ball onto the board on both the ruby and sapphire stages. Latios and Latias will oftentimes save the ball if it goes under the flippers. On the Ruby board, a Makuhita will give you a ball upgrade if it punches the Pokéball (and will also hit it farther up the stage), a Sharpedo is the Catch 'em Mode enabler, and the three bumpers are Chinchous. In the Sapphire board, the three bumpers are Shroomish, a Zigzagoon will also appear, and a Wailmer is the Catch 'em Mode enabler. In both stages a two Pikachu will appear on the sides to save your ball if it goes there. To get to the Sealeo bonus stage, you'll have to find either a Whiscash (ruby board) or a Pelipper (sapphire board). Egg Pokémon As in other Pokémon games, you are able to hatch Pokémon from eggs. However, in this game hatching them is very different. On each stage there is an egg that can be hatched into a baby Pokémon. To hatch an egg, you'll have to either push the Cyndaquil into the cave (ruby board) or hit the Poké ball into a machine that will light up after you do so a few times (sapphire board). Once you do this, one of many different types of Pokémon babies wil pop out, where you'll then have to hit it twice with the Poké ball to capture it. Category:Game Boy Advance games Category:Pokémon games Category:2003 video games Category:Virtual Console games (Wii U, Game Boy Advance) Category:Pinball games Category:Jupiter games Category:Games published by Nintendo Category:Nintendo games